As of December 1, the Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum and Johnstown Flood Museum are on a winter opening hours schedule: we are OPEN Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays; and CLOSED Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Welcome!

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Schedule

2024 Schedule

Entertainment schedule

Visit our performer lineup page for more about the entertainment! The festival is held at the Heritage Discovery Center at 7th & Broad Streets in Johnstown, PA.

Friday, September 20

The Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum will be open and FREE all day on Friday, from 10:00 am-8:00 pm. Friday festival hours are 4:00-10:00 pm.

Mainstage

  • 4:30-6:00 pm: Bill Bevec Band
  • 6;30-8:00 pm: Folklore ensemble VAGONÁR Slovakia
  • 8:30-10:00 pm: Mollov Band

Courtyard Stage

  • 4:30-6:00 pm: Jim Vizzini
  • 6:30-8:00 pm: Jerry Intihar Tribute
  • 8:30-10:00 pm: Johnstown Area Button Box Club

Saturday, September 21

The Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum will be open and FREE all day on Saturday, from 10:00 am-6:00 pm. Saturday festival hours are noon-10:00 pm.

Mainstage

  • 12:00-12:30 pm: Otets Paissii Performing Folk Ensemble
  • 1:00-2:30 pm: Sokyra
  • 3:00-4:30 pm: Sviraj
  • 5:00-6:30 pm: Tamburaški Sastav Svemir
  • 7:00-9:00 pm: Folklore ensemble VAGONÁR Slovakia

Courtyard Stage

  • 12:00-1:00 pm: Jacob Czerak
  • 1:30-2:30 pm: Tamburaški Sastav Svemir
  • 3:30-4:15 pm: Sokyra
  • 4:30-6:00 pm: Matt Sepesy
  • 6:30-8:00 pm: Johnstown Button Box Club

Speaker Schedule

These programs will be presented Saturday, Sept. 21 in the Education Room at the Heritage Discovery Center.

  • 1:00 pm: Robert Jerin, “Finding Your Lost Slavic Family.” Expert genealogist Robert Jerin, who is of Croatian descent, will discuss strategies for conducting family research, with special emphasis on resources especially useful to those of Slavic descent.
  • 3:00 pm: John Righetti: “The ‘S’ Words — Are They All the Same Thing?” Slavic, Slav, Slavonic, Slavish, Slovak, Slovenian — what do they all mean? John Righetti will discuss the distinctions of the ‘S’ words.
  • 5:00 pm: Dean Poloka: “The Life of Father Alexander Dukhnovych, the Awakener of the Rusyns.” Priest, poet, writer, and social activist, Alexander Dukhnovych (1803-1865) was a Greek Catholic priest who was an important Rusyn humanist and educator. Dean Poloka will give an overview of his life and influence.

 

Cooking Demonstrations

These demonstrations will be presented Saturday, Sept. 21 in the Galliker’s Cafe at the Heritage Discovery Center.

  • 2:00 pm: Jim Shustrick, lazy pierogies
  • 4:00 pm: George Kohan, pagach

 

We gratefully acknowledge our sponsors, who enable us to keep the festival FREE.

On August 28, 2023, three generations of the Polacek family gathered at the Heritage Discovery Center to announce their commitment to support the newly-renamed Polacek Family Johnstown Slavic Festival. We are grateful for their support!

Thank you to Maroba Builders LLC, The William Penn Association, Air Management Inc., AmeriServ, Robert Ramos of Wealth Management Partners, and ProVia. Additional sponsors include Croatian Hall, First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, Rich Yeager, Somerset Trust Co., Gary Madia Insurance Agency, Steven Krawick, Gibson-Thomas, Johnstown Rotary Club, Wessel & Company, National Slovak Society, Croatian Fraternal Union of America, Johnstown West End Lions Club, Group Genesis LLC, Slovenian Savings & Loan, State Farm, Hilltop Office Supply, Associates Benefit Corp., and SNPJ Lodge No. 174.